The new Opel Astra, which won the "Golden Steering Wheel” prize from the highly regarded German magazine Auto Bild, will be available for test driving on 15th, 16th and 17th January in the Algarve at the MSCAR dealerships in Faro, Portimão and Vila Real de Santo António, the official representatives of the brand in the Algarve.

The car, with prices starting at 20,500 euros (1.4 petrol engine, and, until the diesel engine 1.3CDTI arrives, the 1.7 diesel at 25,000 euros) has drawn to some extent on its ‘older brother’, the Insignia, borrowing a number of solutions in terms of equipment, such as adaptive front lighting and the Opel Eye camera, which detects traffic signs and warns drivers if they veer off course.

In the launch models, 1,000 in total, Opel is also providing accessories such as a navigation system, bluetooth mobile phone portal, fog lights and 17 or 18 inch light alloy wheels.

The entry model is the 1.4, now with a 100 horsepower engine. The petrol models also include the new 1.4 Turbo (140 hp) and the 1.6 Turbo (180 hp). Until the economical 95 horsepower 1.3 CDTi arrives, the highlight of the turbo-diesel models is the new generation 1.7 CDTI, with its 125 horsepower. Opel is also offering the diesel top-of-the-range 160 hp 2.0 CDTI.

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The launch of the model in the Algarve will be marked by a special campaign called “Do you want to come to Seville?”, in which all visitors to do a test drive at MSCAR premises during the “open house” weekend can take part. Participants just have to compose a sentence referring to the new Astra, and the winner of the best sentence will drive the new Astra to Seville, with a free night for two people in a hotel and a Sevillanas dinner included.

Owing to the international aspect, but also because of the segment in which it is positioned and the sales of the previous model in Portugal, Pedro Figueiredo, Director General of Opel in the Algarve, does not hesitate to say that this is this year’s most important launch for OPEL.

He said that the new Astra was a car for all ages, and he stressed the modern, sporty design, technical innovations, safety and low consumption as being the main attributes of OPEL’s new ‘jewel’.